Alliance

Johnson lay sprawled on the ground.

Fortunately, the evening wind on the cliff dispersed the lingering poison gas, otherwise she might have been knocked out by the effects for a long time.

Kada’s plan had been despicable.

But it had been effective.

It was hard to believe that he had come up with something like this on his own.

After recovering a bit of strength, Johnson sat up and adjusted Fang Yutian’s position, settling him beside her.

His delicate, pretty face made him look almost like a young girl.

Yet his flat chest and the faintly protruding Adam’s apple still made it clear that he was originally male.

Strictly speaking, the most reliable way to confirm someone’s s*x would be to check primary sexual characteristics.

But she obviously couldn’t bring herself to do something like that.

Honestly, she had never imagined that Red was actually a boy.

But putting that aside—he had saved her, and he was good-looking.

Knowing this, she didn’t really feel angry at all.

Under the healing light, Ma Guohao’s injuries recovered quickly.

When he woke up, the first thing he saw was Fang Yutian lying in Johnson’s arms.

He had no idea why Fang Yutian was here at this moment.

But instinctively, he didn’t want Fang Yutian to be harmed by Johnson.

Ma Guohao didn’t know how long he’d been unconscious.

Nor did he know what had happened while he was out.

“Let go of Fang Yutian.”

He raised his energy cannon and aimed it at Johnson.

“Calm down.”

“I don’t have the strength to hurt anyone right now.”

‘Huh?’

‘Why does he think I could hurt him?’

‘That’s Red.’

‘I’m a monster who just lost a fight.’

Then it hit her.

Ma Guohao didn’t know that Red was Fang Yutian.

And more than that—

Ma Guohao knew this boy.

“And besides,”

“why would I hurt my own boyfriend?”

Johnson suddenly pulled the still-unconscious Fang Yutian tightly into her arms.

“…What?”

“We were camping together in the mountains.”

“Then I got called in for a mission, and he got worried and followed me.”

“As for our current posture—”

“That’s just couple stuff.”

“Nothing you need to worry about.”

Ma Guohao still looked doubtful.

In his impression, Fang Yutian was absolutely not the type who could get a girlfriend.

Unless he’d been scammed.

But looking closely, Fang Yutian didn’t seem injured at all.

And judging by Johnson’s exhausted expression, she truly didn’t have much strength left.

More importantly, there was no hostility in her eyes.

After thinking it through, Ma Guohao finally lowered his guard.

“So that’s why…”

“He never mentioned me to you.”

“Of course.”

“When he’s with me, I’m all he thinks about.”

“Tch.”

“Gets a girlfriend and doesn’t even tell me.”

“Not loyal at all.”

“Um…”

“You’re friends with my boyfriend?”

“Yeah.”

“So what are you going to do about attacking your boyfriend’s friend?”

That was… technically true.

And hard to argue with.

Johnson felt a headache coming on.

“Well…”

“Organizational missions are confidential.”

“And honestly, I didn’t want him to know what I usually do.”

“So I didn’t tell him.”

Only then did Ma Guohao fully relax.

He walked over and checked Fang Yutian’s condition.

Seeing that he was still unconscious, he debated between slapping him awake or splashing water on him.

In the end, he chose to wait.

“He inhaled some residue from the poison smoke bomb while passing through.”

“That’s why he’s out cold.”

“Poison? Smoke?”

“What even happened?”

“And how long is he going to be asleep?”

“More importantly,”

“you should be worrying about Miss Xia right now.”

“Isn’t she with Red?”

“How could anything happen to her?”

“You really think that just because Red’s around, everything is guaranteed?”

“What gave you that illusion?”

That was obvious, wasn’t it?

Ma Guohao almost said it out loud—but stopped himself.

“My companion took advantage of the moment when I was down.”

“When Red came to question me, he used poison gas and a parasitic monster round to ambush both of us.”

“Then, while Red wasn’t paying attention, he took the young lady away.”

“If Red hadn’t stepped in, I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you.”

“What are you even saying?”

“Then where’s Red now?”

“She probably went back to rest.”

“She was poisoned too.”

“She’s not in a condition to fight right now.”

Ma Guohao found that hard to believe.

“That look on your face.”

“I had the same one at first.”

“Did you forget?”

“Red’s been a magical girl fighting monsters at high intensity for five years.”

“Day and night.”

“Every corner of the city.”

“Even someone made of iron would break eventually.”

“Years of accumulated exhaustion have already pushed her into physical and mental burnout.”

“Slower reactions.”

“Smaller effective range.”

“More misjudgments.”

“According to the leader, she’s already much weaker than she used to be.”

“Otherwise, by her old style, she would’ve smashed all those rocks back into me the moment she appeared—and finished me off immediately.”

“That’s exactly why the monsters united.”

“They formed an organization led by three pillars.”

“The Trinal Assembly.”

“Our goal was to combine our strength and bring her down in one strike.”

“And now you’re…”

“A helper.”

“The organization betrayed me.”

“So betraying them in return doesn’t bother me.”

“And Red saved me when I was ambushed.”

“So I’m helping you now.”

“Suspicious.”

“Very suspicious.”

Ma Guohao didn’t doubt the logic of her story.

But they’d been enemies moments ago.

Shaking hands like this still felt wrong.

“Then I’ll leave.”

“Anyway, you probably don’t know where Kada took Miss Xia.”

“I’ll just take my boyfriend and go.”

Johnson stood up, hoisting Fang Yutian onto her back.

But Ma Guohao grabbed her.

“Wait!”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t agree!”

“Don’t bail on us!”

“Heh.”

“Oh, right.”

“About that ambush.”

“Can you explain the details a bit more?”

“No.”

“Even if I die, I won’t talk about that.”

She was obviously referring to being swallowed by the mud creature.

A full-body engulfment.

Humiliating.

Disgraceful.

Her face darkened instantly, brimming with killing intent.

“No comment.”

That expression was like touching a forbidden zone.

Ma Guohao tried several times to probe for details.

Johnson stubbornly refused every time.

Eventually, he gave up.

…………

In a hazy daze, Fang Yutian opened his eyes.

What he saw was a mass of hair.

What he smelled was a dry, sunlit, intensely hormonal scent.

He was being carried on someone’s back along a mountain road.

Someone behind them was holding a light.

The last thing he remembered was Johnson.

The hair and scent matched.

So he asked,

“Damn it, Johnson.”

“How long was I out?”

He tapped his muddled head against her back, trying to wake himself up.

“Not long.”

“About fifteen minutes, maybe.”

Fang Yutian let out a heavy sigh.

“Ugh.”

“So annoying.”

“How did I still get hit by poison?”

“Put me down first.”

Feet on the ground, step by step, helped him regain clarity faster.

Only then did he realize—

He was fully back to being Fang Yutian.

His transformation must have automatically canceled while he was unconscious.

That wasn’t rare for magical girls.

Lose consciousness in battle, revert, get captured.

He had always known his identity wouldn’t stay hidden forever.

He just hadn’t expected the first one to find out would be a monster.

If he had a choice, he’d rather have told Ma Guohao.

But “brothers” were exactly the kind of people who would demand lewd stuff if you gender-swapped.

More importantly—

If Ma Guohao ever seriously asked for something, he wasn’t sure he could refuse.

That was why he never planned to let him know in the first place.

Still, he’d saved Johnson pretty badly.

Even as a monster and former enemy, she wouldn’t cause trouble over his true identity.

…Probably.

“You—”

Fang Yutian was about to say something to Johnson when—

“You little shit.”

“You got a girlfriend and didn’t tell me?”

If you’d told me, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten beaten up today.

That thought crossed Ma Guohao’s mind.

Fang Yutian turned his head.

The first thing he saw was a glaring light source.

A blurry silhouette.

He squinted.

The voice—it was Ma Guohao.

His brain kicked into overdrive.

When did he wake up?

How much did he see?

Does he already know I’m a magical girl?

No—girlfriend?

What girlfriend?

“Girlfriend?”

He rubbed his eyes and looked at Ma Guohao.

“What girlfriend are you talking about?”

Did he misunderstand me and that nun or something?

His mind was still foggy.

Until—

“You don’t want your friend to find out you’re a magical girl, right?”

“Then behave yourself and cooperate, okay, hubby?”

Johnson leaned in and whispered into Fang Yutian’s ear.

Fang Yutian froze.

Then Johnson wrapped her arms around him again.

In an instant, she shifted into a coquettish, seductive posture.

Overdone.

Yet somehow… he didn’t hate it.

After all—

She was his “girlfriend.”

“Hey!”

“So you become a monster and don’t tell me.”

“But I get a girlfriend and I have to tell you?”

“That’s because I—”

“Because what?”

“Because you were embarrassed about turning into a monster?”

“Or because you thought I’d ditch you as a friend?”

“Tch.”

“What sealed dark-flame dragon power in your right hand?”

“Quit the chuunibyou act.”

“Even the young lady could tell you were a monster.”

“You think I wouldn’t notice?”

“Let’s put my business aside.”

“But do you know—”

Ma Guohao almost said it.

That Johnson had been part of an evil organization.

But then he remembered—

Fang Yutian knew nothing about it.

Saying it now would only destroy their relationship.

And it wouldn’t justify his own secrecy either.

A world where everyone got hurt.

So he swallowed the words.